London and Its People

London, one of the world's great cultural, political and financial centres, was founded by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago as one of their remoter outposts. It became the heart of an empire much larger than the Romans could ever have envisaged and ironically its location at what was, in effect, the edge of Europe perversely worked in its favour. Free from the squabbles and conflicts that raged on the continent, London developed its specialities, took advantage of its seafaring skills, exploited the riches of the kingdom's possessions overseas, and became wealthy and adventurous.But there was another side to London - one of extreme poverty, which grew worse as the capital grew richer. By the nineteenth century hundreds of thousands of London residents were living in squalor. As the city expanded into ever more desirable suburbs, the poor were segregated into violent and lawless ghettos that threatened the stability of the regime. London was a mass of contrasts. it had superb architecture, brilliant entertainments and magnificent shops, but also an underclass that was ignored by the authoritiesThis city of contrasts is vividly and comprehensively described in John Richardson's beautiful new illustrated account of London's history.